1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to devices for paying out flexible material wound on a spool and, more particularly, to a device especially adapted for paying out flexible fencing material wound on a spool.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Flexible fence material is a type of fence material that is easy to pay out from a spool for installation onto fence posts. In general, the art of paying out flexible material from a spool is crowded with many innovations, and the following U.S. patents are representative of some of those innovations: U.S. Pat. Nos. 524,657, 1,674,709, 1,871,483, 3,162,390, and 5,497,958. More specifically, each of U.S. Pat. Nos. 524,657, 1,674,709, and 1,871,483 discloses a device for paying out relatively small diameter strands of wire from a spool. Such devices are not suitable for paying out sheets of flexible fence material. In this respect, it would be desirable if a device were provided for paying out flexible fence material.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,162,390 discloses a device from which flexible cloth material can be dispensed from a spool. The cloth material is wound into a bolt of cloth which is supported by a spindle. However, there is no disclosure of dispensing flexible fence material from a spool. Moreover, it is noted that this device does not disclose structures attached to the spindle, either at the top or the bottom of the spindle, for centering the bolt of cloth on the spindle. In the art of dispensing flexible fence material, it is important that a spool of fence material be centered on a spindle and be prevented from sliding upward on the spindle and potentially slipping off of the spindle. In this respect, it would be desirable if a device, that provides flexible fence material from a spool, includes structures for centering the spool on the spindle.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,497,958 discloses a device for dispensing flexible fence material from a spool. Stabilization of the device in the ground is accomplished by the use of four relatively short base member stakes are arrayed circumferentially around the spool. In addition, extra stake members are provided in the ground outside the base member. A total of six stake members are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,497,958. For purposes of simplicity, it would be desirable if a fence spool apparatus were provided which includes a ground penetrating member that is located coaxial with the longitudinal axis of the spool.
Still other features would be desirable in a fence spool apparatus. For example, good stabilization of the apparatus depends upon secure stabilization of the apparatus in the ground. In this respect, it would be desirable if fence spool apparatus were provided which includes an adaptor which is designed to receive hammer blows for driving a ground-penetrating member into the ground.
Thus, while the foregoing body of prior art indicates it to be well known to use devices for dispensing flexible material from a spindle, the prior art described above does not teach or suggest a fence spool apparatus which has the following combination of desirable features: (1) provides for paying out flexible fence material; (2) provides flexible fence material from a spool which includes structures for centering the spool on a spindle; (3) provides a ground-penetrating member that is located coaxial with the longitudinal axis of the spool; and (4) includes an adaptor which is designed to receive hammer blows for driving the ground-penetrating member into the ground. The foregoing desired characteristics are provided by the unique fence spool apparatus of the present invention as will be made apparent from the following description thereof. Other advantages of the present invention over the prior art also will be rendered evident.
To achieve the foregoing and other advantages, the present invention, briefly described in general terms, a fence spool apparatus includes ground penetration means for penetrating a portion of ground, ground contacting plate means from which a portion of the ground penetration means extend downward therefrom, vertical stabilizer means positioned on top of the ground contacting plate means, ground penetrator driver means for driving a portion of said ground penetration means into the ground, spindle shaft and spool reception means stabilized by the vertical stabilizer means, and top of shaft control means supported by the spindle shaft and spool reception means.
More specifically, with respect to the first embodiment of the invention, the ground penetration means include base fixing portion, the ground contacting plate means include base plate portion, and the base fixing portion and the base plate portion are unified as a base unit.
The vertical stabilizer means include bottom spindle unit which includes spindle plate portion and bottom shaft-reception sleeve depending upward from the spindle plate portion. The ground penetrator driver means include hammer-impaction member, and spindle-reception well, in the base plate portion, which receives a portion of the hammer-impaction member. The spindle shaft and spool reception means include spindle shaft unit. The top of shaft control means include fence spool centering assembly supported by the spindle shaft unit.
Even more specifically with respect to the first embodiment of the invention, a fence spool apparatus includes a base unit which includes a base plate portion, a base fixing portion projecting out from a bottom side of the base plate portion, and a spindle-reception well extending into a top side of the base plate portion. A bottom spindle unit includes a spindle plate portion, a spindle member projecting out from a bottom side of the spindle plate portion, and a bottom shaft-reception sleeve extending up from a top side of the spindle plate portion. A spindle shaft unit is received in the bottom shaft-reception sleeve.
The base fixing portion is in a form of a pointed spike. A hammer-impaction member can be received in the spindle-reception well when the spindle member is not received in the spindle-reception well. The base fixing portion and the spindle-reception well are located along a longitudinal axis.
A bottom fence spool centering assembly extends between the spindle plate portion and the bottom shaft-reception sleeve. The bottom centering assembly includes a plurality of bottom centering rod members which extend between the spindle plate portion and the bottom shaft-reception sleeve.
A top fence spool centering assembly is attached to a top portion of the spindle shaft unit. The top centering assembly includes a top shaft-reception sleeve attached to a top portion of the spindle shaft unit. A plurality of top centering rods are connected to a top portion of the top shaft-reception sleeve and a bottom portion of the top shaft-reception sleeve and extend radially outward from the top shaft-reception sleeve.
The spindle shaft unit includes a first spindle shaft member received in the bottom shaft-reception sleeve, and a second spindle shaft member is connected to the first spindle shaft member. The first spindle shaft member can be connected to the second spindle shaft member by screwing the two shaft members together.
To use the first embodiment of the fence spool apparatus, the base unit is secured to the ground, a roll of wire fence is mounted on the spindle shaft unit, the bottom spindle unit is placed on the base unit, the top centering assembly is placed on the spindle shaft unit, and a free end of the wire fence is pulled, whereby the roll of wire fence is unrolled with the roll of wire fence spinning on the fence spool apparatus.
More specifically with respect to the second embodiment of the invention, the ground penetration means include a ground penetration member which includes a ground penetration point at a distal end and a shaft reception well at a proximal end. The ground contacting plate means include a base plate portion. The vertical stabilizer means include a tubular ground-penetration-member reception sleeve attached to a top side of the base plate portion. The ground penetrator driver means include a spindle shaft unit received in the shaft reception well. The spindle shaft and spool reception means include a spindle shaft unit which is received in the shaft reception well. The top of shaft control means include a shaft jacket portion for placement over a top portion of the spindle shaft unit and include a handle portion attached to a top portion of the shaft jacket portion.
Even more specifically with respect to the second embodiment of the invention, the fence spool apparatus includes a base plate portion and a tubular ground-penetration-member reception sleeve connected to the base plate portion and extending upward therefrom. A ground penetration member is received in the tubular ground-penetration-member reception sleeve, for penetrating the ground therethrough. The ground penetration member includes a ground penetration point at a distal end and a shaft reception well at a proximal end. A spindle shaft unit includes a distal shaft end and a proximal shaft end. The distal shaft end is received in the shaft reception well. A shaft jacket portion is positioned around the proximal shaft end, and a handle portion is connected to a top portion of the shaft jacket portion. The handle portion is perpendicular to the shaft jacket portion.
Preferably, top centering wings are connected between the handle portion and the shaft jacket portion. Optionally, a cover plate is placed on top of the base plate portion. The cover plate includes a ground-penetration-member reception channel. Optionally, a bottom centering unit is placed on top of the cover plate. The bottom centering unit includes a ground-penetration-member-reception channel and bottom centering wings attached to walls of the ground-penetration-member-reception channel.
The ground penetration member can include notches located at a top rim of walls forming the shaft reception well. The distal shaft end can include a shaft end hammer head and a shaft end groove located proximal to the shaft end hammer head.
The above brief description sets forth rather broadly the more important features of the present invention in order that the detailed description thereof that follows may be better understood, and in order that the present contributions to the art may be better appreciated. There are, of course, additional features of the invention that will be described hereinafter and which will be for the subject matter of the claims appended hereto.
In this respect, before explaining two preferred embodiments of the invention in detail, it is understood that the invention is not limited in its application to the details of the construction and to the arrangements of the components set forth in the following description or illustrated in the drawings. The invention is capable of other embodiments and of being practiced and carried out in various ways. Also, it is to be understood, that the phraseology and terminology employed herein are for the purpose of description and should not be regarded as limiting.
As such, those skilled in the art will appreciate that the conception, upon which disclosure is based, may readily be utilized as a basis for designing other structures, methods, and systems for carrying out the several purposes of the present invention. It is important, therefore, that the claims be regarded as including such equivalent constructions insofar as they do not depart from the spirit and scope of the present invention.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a new and improved fence spool apparatus which has all of the advantages of the prior art and none of the disadvantages.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a new and improved fence spool apparatus which may be easily and efficiently manufactured and marketed.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a new and improved fence spool apparatus which is of durable and reliable construction.
An even further object of the present invention is to provide a new and improved fence spool apparatus which is susceptible of a low cost of manufacture with regard to both materials and labor, and which accordingly is then susceptible of low prices of sale to the consuming public, thereby making such fence spool apparatus available to the buying public.
Still yet a further object of the present invention is to provide a new and improved fence spool apparatus which provides for paying out flexible fence material.
Still another object of the present invention is to provide a new and improved fence spool apparatus that provides flexible fence material from a spool which includes structures for centering the spool on a spindle.
Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a new and improved fence spool apparatus which provides a ground-penetrating member that is located coaxial with the longitudinal axis of the spool.
Even another object of the present invention is to provide a new and improved fence spool apparatus that includes an adaptor which is designed to receive hammer blows for driving the ground-penetrating member into the ground.
These together with still other objects of the invention, along with the various features of novelty which characterize the invention, are pointed out with particularity in the claims annexed to and forming a part of this disclosure. For a better understanding of the invention, its operating advantages and the specific objects attained by its uses, reference should be had to the accompanying drawings and descriptive matter in which there are illustrated preferred embodiments of the invention.